lillibet | Restaurant Week: Hungry I

We started off Restaurant Week with dinner at The Hungry I. I can really see why this is such a popular spot for Valentine's Day: the decor is cozy and eclectic, the lighting subdued, and the food delicious and different. With Kelly & Pat we were seated out in the small courtyard, shaded by a large tree with plants hanging down long cords from the fire escapes above. Jason started with the cold peach ginger soup, which was sweet and tangy, and chose the pork. I had the grilled polenta with mushrooms and shaved parmesan--I rarely enjoy polenta, but this was perfect in texture and the flavors of the other elements balanced the sweetness of the corn beautifully. The other two both chose the salad with apple slices--Kelly commented that it was tasty and lovely to look at, but a little difficult to eat. Then the three of us all had the Poulet Dijonnaise, a breast of chicken sauteed with scallops, chablis, mustard and cream. The meat was tender and moist and the sauce was remarkably light. The ecclectic plates all seemed a little large for the food on them, but the portions were good-sized. For dessert, Kelly and Jason both took the pear tarte tatin, with huge roasted pears and a light crust soaked in the sauce. Pat had the rum cake, which was particularly light and tasty. I enjoyed tastes of both, but my walnut pie with chantilly cream was definitely my favorite of the three, rich without being too sweet. The service was a bit odd--our server seemed really confused that we wanted so little to drink and had to be asked a second time to bring us water and then to refill our glasses. Rather than moving around the table to place our entrees, he would reach across other diners to set them in front of us. But after a somewhat slow start, the pacing was good and all of our food arrived at a proper temperature and we were done fairly quickly without feeling rushed. Given the prices--my chicken was $29 on the regular menu--the prix fixe was a good deal. I'm glad we've tried it and for a romantic occasion I'd definitely recommend it, especially in nice weather.